Whoopi Kisses the Girl Who Kissed A Girl

(Getty Images) Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" has become the official song of the summer, and Perry the new pop princess of MTV. And why not? She's got a great, pin-uppy look with an edge, and her song - a heart-pounding rock-synth-ode to experimentation - is refreshing in the wake of pop machines Fergie and Rihanna.

So who can blame Whoopi Goldberg going in for a kiss after Perry's performance on The View?  Watch the kiss below.

Sure, it's a little creepy and if Whoopi were a man, she'd already be suing over her dismissal from the show, but I guess she figured Perry needed to pucker up and put her money where her mouth was. Just too bad for Perry that it had to be Whoopi.

After watching the clip a couple of times and wincing through Sherri Shepard's awkward line of questioning about controversy over Perry's songs ("I Kissed a Girl" and "UR So Gay"), I wondered...what controversy? I'd never heard anyone talk about it. The songs are harmless, tongue-in-cheek kinda things, right?  I mean, sure, Perry is "using" gayness as the springboard for her success (but to be fair, it was her record company that decided to issue these two songs back-to-back), but it's all in good fun, right?

(Getty Images) Well, naturally some people are offended by her lyrics, and have hurled charges of homophobia at her. Perry claims "UR So Gay" is her version of Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughtta Know";  a hurt girl's revenge song, in this case, against a very metrosexual ex. Critics assert that it relies on an arsenal of homophobic cliches ("I hope you hang yourself with your H&M scarf/while jacking off listening to Mozart/You bitch and moan about LA/Wishing you were in the rain reading Hemingway").

Honestly, I don't know a single gay guy that any of those cliches would apply to. They are so ridiculous they transcend cliche, although I suppose there could be a couple of gays out there that might feel she's singing about them (but did they date a girl?) Then again, had her song been "UR So Black" and made use of racial stereotypes, the song would never have seen the light of day.

As for "I Kissed a Girl"...please. Are we really going to make this song a flashpoint of controversy? What's the difference between Perry using girl-on-girl sexperimentation for attention vs. Grey's Anatomy unveiling a new lesbian plot line for ratings?  Popular culture is ripe with images and references of straight girls getting their lesbianic jollies, but I'm going to give Perry the benefit of the doubt on this one that she's coming from a slightly more genuine place than, say, "Girls Gone Wild". (For the record, Perry has not admitted to kissing a girl...yet.)

I have heard "UR So Gay" at parties, and the more queeny the party-goer, the more they seemed to enjoy it. So would critics of the song be ok with it if an out, gay man did a cover of it? Is the biggest beef the gay community has with the "I Kissed a Girl" the lyric "it's not what good girls do/not how they should behave"? I think it's safe to say that this song is played at lesbian bars...I mean, how could it not? And frankly, that is the line I can easily picture being yelled out at the top of their lungs at the bar, because every lesbian I know has contended with the issue of being "a bad girl".

I bristle at the idea that "we" shouldn't like or listen to Katy Perry. Part of equality is letting me make up my own mind. Ultimately, it comes down to a matter of taste and personal comfort with using certain words or ideas and for what purpose. I can't help but wonder if there is some generational disconnect at play here too. Perry is 23, and although raised conservatively, is part of a generation much more comfortable with homosexuality. MTV programming regularly features gay characters/contestants. Presumably, her critics are older; are they perhaps guilty of projecting a dated cultural context on to her and her music that in reality doesn't exist for her?

I guess it all goes back to a sense of ownership; like the debate over when it's ok to use the word "fag", is it ok to embrace a 23 year old straight girl who uses gay stereotypes in her songs? What do you think? Do you like Katy Perry's songs, or do you think she's perpetuating homophobic stereotypes?

Comments

[chris]

personally it gets old how someone tries to make everything a controversy about everything, if it's not racist, it's sexist and if it's not sexist it's homophobic i think people need to calm down and just take this song for what it is a fun pop song. just enjoy it and don't read too much into it

[Nigel]

Please, this whole "politically correct" thing has gotten so out of hand over the years! Whatever happened to the ability to laugh at ourselves and take as good as we give? Yeah, we need to stand up for ourselves too, but we need to be able to find "the line" where it can be funny before we have to jump in flashing our well manicured claws and screaming "back off, butthole, yer pushin' it!"
Personally, I've only heard her first song and I found it amusing. I'm not about to worry over her new single if it's as amusing as her first.

[GDAWG]

you shouldn't boycott her because she might be offensive to gays, you should boycott her because her trite pop fluff genuinely sucks.

[jay]

It would actually be nice to see someone who is actually gay doing a song like this. I remember a few years back these two girls like from russia that did these gay songs and later it came out that they were straight but playing lesbian. I really do believe that people should be what they are and not pretend to be something they are not to sell records.

[joey]

well first off.... ur so gay came out long before i kissed a girl was even released. there is no need to be upset because the main thing she is doing is making even more people aware gay people are here and she is helping to make them more comfortable with us.

[Andrew]

I personally think she is using us as some celebrities do. I am not angry with her tho since most of my friends are lesbos and they love her song. The ur so gay song is kinda in bad taste in my opinion because were working so hard to remove that catchphrase from popular rhetoric (the gay=stupid, thats so gay terminology). I think if that song catches on, itll strengthen the continuation of that term, except it will be personified instead of referring to an idea or behavior. That worries me a tad.

[Andrew]

I personally think she is using us as some celebrities do. I am not angry with her tho since most of my friends are lesbos and they love her song. The ur so gay song is kinda in bad taste in my opinion because were working so hard to remove that catchphrase from popular rhetoric (the gay=stupid, thats so gay terminology). I think if that song catches on, itll strengthen the continuation of that term, except it will be personified instead of referring to an idea or behavior. That worries me a tad.

[Caleb]

She's plainly using the gay community. Every time I hear another gay person sing or say how much the love the song "I kissed a girl" or "Ur so gay," it irks me and makes me a bit irritated. I think some view these new songs as "progress" for our community; I view it as exploitation. This is just another example of a straight person using a controversial issue to further themselves. Does anyone else recall the 2004 federal marriage amendment? George Bush, anyone?

Another thing, the song "Ur so gay," she tosses the term "gay" around as if there is not only something wrong with being an actual gay man but that if one isn't even actually gay but appears to be so, that it's even worse. I, for one, am tired of straight people picking and choosing when it's okay to be gay. When we would like equal rights and protections under the law, then it's not okay. But if it's for the purpose of selling extra records, then it's perfectly okay. I'd like to know when gay people are going to stop saying exploitation is okay and stop accepting these false steps of progress?

[brody]

people need to lighten up. i'm gay and it does not offend me. At all. Everyone just needs to chill. its all just fun. quit complainin.

[brody]

people need to lighten up. i'm gay and it does not offend me. At all. Everyone just needs to chill. its all just fun. quit complainin.

[joe]

I totally approve of the concept behind " I kissed a girl and I liked it" it and it will be breaking down the homophobic way for years to come; but although it could potentially do some good, I can't listen to it or endorse it knowing that it also encourages girls to use there fellow lesbian peers for solely experimentation with out any concern for how that girl might feel. This degrades the girl to a mere experimental trial or her orientation; any song which will encourage young girls or guys to “use” each other in physical or even physiological acts with out any concern for them should not be encouraged. It degrades homosexuals and seams likely to turn our future generations into sociopaths.

[Donald]

I will regret admitting this lol but I sing my lungs off to I kissed a girl. I dont care how she meant it, I take it as a fun catchy song that just happens to be about kissing girls. I bought her album, Ur so Gay is funny, not as upbeat as I kissed a girl, but just as fun. I dont think anyone that hears it can feel truly offended unless your just vain and play a constant victim. Loosen up, laugh a little bit. It will be ok!

[texguynac]

you are ridiculous people. get over yourselves. you perpetuate gay stereotypes by being so unbelievably sensitive. it's sickening.

[Caleb]

It's not so much Kate Perry that bugs me; I'm sure she has many gay friends and loves the gays. It's the obvious exploitation and, even moreso, the fact that so many people fall for it and buy into it, especially gay men and women. Do none of you see the problem with people like her, when they use the gay community for personal gain? Does no one see the parallel between her and George Bush in '04 and how he used the issue of gay marriage to get votes? I'd just like to know one thing: when is it okay to be gay?

[Caleb]

And what has Kate Perry ever done to promote legal equality for the GLBT community?

[pete]

More planet.out marketing rubbish about a forgettable pop muppet. The fake-controversy thing is really lame.

[Nick]

Wow! As long as we are promoting equality for ourselves, we should be OK with songs like this. There are many songs that sing about KILLING us off or removing important parts of our anatomy that still play. They promote fear and negativity toward the GLBT community. That is what we should focus our energy on. Expose the fear mongering and hate rhetoric. Have fun with the "kissed a girl" songs. She is a forgettable pop muppet! THX Pete!

[Jade]

Oh, I'm so offended! LOL!

[Sheldon]

I can't listen to it or endorse it knowing that it also encourages girls to use there fellow lesbian peers for solely experimentation with out any concern for how that girl might feel. This degrades the girl to a mere experimental trial or her orientation; any song which will encourage young girls or guys to “use” each other in physical or even physiological acts with out any concern for them should not be encouraged. It degrades homosexuals and seams likely to turn our future generations into sociopaths.

Posted by:joe | July 30, 2008 at 08:56 PM

I guess we'll have to toss out all our "gay-for-pay" porn. God forbid a str8t guy would use a gay guy solely for experimentation or exploitation.

Please, I don't think she's pussy-teasing lesbians in the song, so much as singing about picking a random chica, who may or may not be gay, for a little "girls-gone-wild" fun. No harm, no foul.

[Manny]

Her song CLEARLY Exploits stereotypes. "Ur so gay" -- when people say that-- you GOTTA think: Geez, someone out there purposely came up with this phrase to diss gay people. It subconsciously engraves into kids minds that its ok to say "ur so gay" or "that's so gay" when referring to something negative or bad. To Some young gay people, they're just too naive. I guess we can't blame them for that. We need better gay education.

[Kendall]

Mt personal opinon lies on how Katy believes no matter whether or not it was her choice to air the song or not she still has say so in it and im sur she went along with it... but what were her actual intentions behine this song? DID SHE THINK IT WAS COOL TO BE GAY? Or is she really gay and she grew up so conservative like that she is afraid to come out. Now #1 if she did it to be cool it was wrong and she did it just to try and humiliate us but on the other hand like its already been posted the song plays in every lesbian bar and either noone knows her true standing on it or their just too drunk to care i think there needs to be more education about the real lesbian world to teens. My girlfriends 12 year old sister took her ipod the other day and hooked it up in my car and started blasting "i kissed a girl" but for 7 years she has had no knowledge of me and her sister so how would i respond to that whole situation i dont think shes gay and neither is Katy Perry? ....RIGHT?

[gidderguy]

Never hearda Perry. Never hearda the song. I reckon I'm so gay.

[gidderguy]

I did hug a big ol' red oak tree last Sunday though. It's the biggest on record in my state. I prolly am the first one ever to hug it. I 'spect it doesn't know who Perry is either. And that's fine with me...

[gidderguy]

Now that I thinkabouddut, I shooda kissed that Beautiful Tree...

[mvnygal]

Peeps, get a life. Fun songs, cute girl, what's the beef? Have singers, gay or straight, been "using" heterosexuals lo these many years in their love songs and tales of heartbreak and woe with their straight mates? Sheesh, what baloney. Yay for equal time. Everyone should kiss a girl at least once, including "so gay" guys! Is this a rap song about killing queers and raping women? No, silly, sweet, bouncy little pop-sicle. GET OVER IT!

[Kevin]

I think that a lot of people just don't get it! We are living in a free world. She is just like anyone who is entitles to raise her own voice. She can sing whatever she wants to because it's her right, and people can critic all they want about her song of choice. If they don't like what they listen to, they can turn off their tune, change channel, or even don't buy her song. Music is supposed to be freely expression. After all, this is not a communist country where a person can't express his/her opinion. Song choice shouldn't make a person "gay" or "straight". If the song is a good song, it shouldn't to be labeled as neither “gay” nor "homophobia". This kind of judgment is what makes our country heading to a wrong direction. There're too many other things people should be focusing on like the economy, job lost, gas price, and so on.

[Noromeohere]

I think its rediculous that people think she is exploiting the gay community by her songs!

When are people going to realize that art is art. Its just music. They are just songs. Honestly... get over your dramatic steriotypes of "straights" using the gay lifestyle and issues to further ones self. Yes poeple have used others to further themselves... but why are we getting so huffy over a song? Why not deal with bigger issues, things that could really make a difference. As for exploiting lesbians... wow... what a concept... I guess all you who think its exploiting will be trashing all your broke straight boys, and guys gone wild and bi-curious boys or whatever your watching where someone who is not "gay" is being exploited by the (dare i say it) "gay community", I think its fairly hypocritical. Yes, music is a huge influence on things... but seriosuly... its just a damn song.
I think they are catchy songs. Plain and simple.

As for "ur so gay" i dont actually care for the song. Not because of the theme, but because it just doesn't do much for me musically.

I think its time that people in the music industry do something new and different instead of just remaking every song over for the 30th time and sampling older songs to rap over or rock out to. She is doing just that!

I like her music.

[Nairian]

I mean honestly. I don't get where the controversy is? Let Katy Perry have her moment to shine. We know she isn't going far. So what? It's only a pop song. People who are making a controversy out of this are just angry and love to complain. Seriously. This is one of those songs that we are gonna look back on and laugh. So come one and lighten up. People who take themsleves too serioulsy don not age well.

[Brandon]

I think Sheldon brought up a good point below. How many gay guys have gotten off to porn that stars "straight" guys? You shouldn't get all angry and offended about how she's "using" us if you're going home and dreaming of that guy at work who you wish was "so gay." Lighten up, if we got rid of everything in the media that wasn't 100% PC there would be nothing left. Everyone should just chill out and they'd be a lot happier because in the long run, does one pop song REALLY matter?

[theatree84]

Is "I Kissed A Girl" exploitative? Yeah a little, not enough to get me riled up though. Mind you, I like dance/synth/techno music though.
I just wish a straight guy could do the same song flipped around and have it be just as successful. When THAT happens, THEN I think we'll have reached full social equality.

[Jim]

OMG I can not believe some of the commits there is nothing wrong with theses songs and i believe she is not using us or the gay community . I think some of you need to grow up, lighten up and stop being Drama Queens, Drama Queens do more harm to our community than a pop somg

[Ron H.]

Am I offended by the song "UR So Gay?" Not really. That would assume Katy Perry is a singer worth getting upset about. I heard her demo CD almost a year ago when her agent was begging new media outlets to book her. I refused to let her appear on the network I represented because her music is pretty lame and, quite frankly, the lyrics for "UR So Gay" were unacceptable. I did what anyone with even half a brain should do...ignore her. Perry is the flavor of the month for pop music fans with short attention spans. You know, the people who listen to anything that MTV or MySpace Music shoves in their face. Do I think the song is "harmless fun?" Certainly not! The lyrics use the word "gay" in derogatory and disparaging ways that amount to little more than gross stereotyping. Of course, that would assume that some of those leaving comments supportive of this inane pop tart actually listen to lyrics. If the song was called "UR So Black" or "UR Such a Jew" it would never have seen the light of day. As we've seen time and again, it's still permissiable to use the word "gay" as a slur, even in maninstream music. Like I said, it's not the song I find offensive. Rather, it's other gay people who just hum along, blithely ignorant of the subtle form of hate speech they are dancing to.

[Thomas Waters]

First, I don't have a problem with either song. I thought the controversy over I Kissed a Girl was within the Str8 community as if it was SO subversive to ruin the fabric of society. I guess everyone is forgetting Jill Soboule(Sp?). But UR so Gay is different. The problem is that "you're so gay, or that's gay or some version of that is a common dismissive among teens especially. as if being gay is bad or less than. To play up and use that slur- THAT's what is a problem. Now I get the vengeful girlfriend part. And more than be pissed at her, I cite her label for releasing it/ and doing them back to back- which had to be little more than a publicity stunt to make sure she came off as 100% breeder. See- she can experiment, but when it really comes down to it, she slurs gays like any other str8 person.

As for the song, I think it is kinda funny. as you mention the cliche's are way over the top which only adds to the fun of it.. I'd say the only ones wanting there to be- or making a controversy are her marketing folks who are trying to increase sales.

[LadykingCole]

I hate the song "i kissed a girl" --- i think it continues to emphasizes stereotypes many of us fight so hard against----as a feminine lesbian everyone thinks what i'm doing is simply a drunken phase and that my relationship has no true merit or worth. Everyone is simply waiting for this "phase of experiementation" to be overwith---quite the hard thing to swallow when i know in my heart i've finally found my other half (growing up in a extremely conservative family it wasnt easy). Why can't there be a hit song on the radio that we can scream at the top of my lungs that doesn't include some stinky straight guy?

[pdxblueyes]

PLEASE COME ON. Let's get past this Shit. We are going to Politically Correct ourselves into our own individual little holes in the ground. It's Art - Art is supposed to make you think and interact and arouse and disgust and interest and turn on and turn off. Take the music as art... and relate to it in the way that affects YOU. Not how it SHOULD affect everyone else... Come on, people. We're creative thinking individuals. Not Lemmings... My grandmother used to say: "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they usually stink". Honor each others thoughts - but think for yourself.

[pdxblueyes]

PLEASE COME ON. Let's get past this Shit. We are going to Politically Correct ourselves into our own individual little holes in the ground. It's Art - Art is supposed to make you think and interact and arouse and disgust and interest and turn on and turn off. Take the music as art... and relate to it in the way that affects YOU. Not how it SHOULD affect everyone else... Come on, people. We're creative thinking individuals. Not Lemmings... My grandmother used to say: "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they usually stink". Honor each others thoughts - but think for yourself.

[oaklandgayasian]

There is a big difference between 'laughing at ourselves' and someone else laughing at us. People of Color (like me) are very aware of the difference.

Don't tell me I need to 'get over it' and I won't tell you you should stop listening to Katy Perry's music. Grow up and learn what subtle forms of oppression can take.

[oaklandgayasian]

Jill Sobule isn't straight.

[Aaron Fricke]

"UR So Gay"
What an interesting survey. At what point DOES something become offensive to our community? I mean, if 51% of the responders are bothered by this song, is THAT the deciding factor? In reality, of course, this isn't a survey at all; it's just a public forum for community discussion. After reading the comments so far I figure that if you gotta ask whether or not something is offensive or not - it probably ain't. But I'm not really sure why not. If we can recognize "UR So Black" as offensive instantly, then it has to be the result of years of hard work and struggle on the part of the African American community to define that as such. So as harmless as I'm sure Katy Perry's intentions were, I think the socially responsible thing is to be offended by this song...even though I'm not really. But I should be.

[Okey Dokey]

I dont care for the words but the music is catchy. Artists have been exploiting lesbians for years(Pink).She has a very big lesbian following and she knows it so she continually dangles the carrot. Is she or isn't she. It's all a marketing ploy to keep your fan base as long as possible.Madonna was the queen of marketing herself for years. She is brilliant at it and Pink has mastered the art of marketing herself just as Madonna did and still does. Controversy keeps people interested.Pinks saving grace for me is that she is a brilliant talented singer/songwriter who should have faith in her abilities rather than the exploitation of lesbians. Wake up people

[Waylon]

I kissed a girl..... and I liked it! Well not really but I like the song! Lighten up people!

[DJ]

UR So Black. WTF? I'm so sick of every author of a gay article regarding dicrimination saying "If it were about black people. . ." as if there were a competition to designate the most victimized minority group. God, it's incredibly easy for a gay, black person to feel hated by the gay community, in general. This is a constant.

[Kasey]

I think the song is fun! Lighten up peeps!

[Donald]

Ur So Gay is not an insult to me. Straight guys are terrified of the chance they could be queer. Its meant as an insult to the guy she is telling it to, not a stab at the gay community. She is bitter at him, so plays his fears and hates against him to humiliate HIM, not me or my friends. Lighten up please lol.

[rachel]

Alas, I believe that "I Kissed a Girl" was made with the intention of selling songs.
However, super glue was made as a band aid, and who uses it for that?
We now have a sweet song blasting from most stations about expiramentation, a normal part of growing up. Perhaps it will help the next generation to feel less alone in that difficult time.
I'm glad its out there.

[Trey Parker]

I can see why "I kissed a girl" would make some gay people angry. It reinforces the thought some straights have that we CHOSE to be gay and can turn off our attractions like a light switch.

[Lune]

What HORRIBLE songs. What makes it "OK" or "funny" for straight women to publicly make fun of gay and effeminate men (and the size of their genitals)? (And when's the last time Katy sang along to the "you're so straight and your chest is so flat" song??) "U'r so gay" is a song about gay men and is particularly hurtful to those who have agonized about coming out in an intolerant society. In short, this song, without any hint of humor, irony, or sympathy, expresses the ongoing attitude of revilement that the general public has for gay and effeminate men. (Google "gay hate crimes" or talk to gay people about their high school experiences.) Thanks, Katy, for making an anthem to the tune of "gay is [once again] bad." When is a song called "U'r so gay" going to have something POSITIVE to say about gay men and women?